United Nations in Zimbabwe, Block 10, Arundel Office Park, Norfolk Road, Mt. Pleasant, Harare (2026)

The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) is the highest level inter-agency coordination and decision making-body in Zimbabwe, which is led by the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the designated representative of the UN Secretary General in Zimbabwe. The UNCT allows for all UN entities with activities in Zimbabwe to work as a team in formulating common positions on strategic issues, ensuring coherence in action and advocacy. The UNCT in Zimbabwe ascribes to the accepted principles and guidelines of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), which unites all UN funds, programmes, agencies, departments, and offices at headquarter level that play a role in development. The UNCT in Zimbabwe works to support the Government in rebuilding and strengthening national capacities to achieve full economic, political and social recovery in order to set a higher development trajectory. The UNCT is therefore responsible for ensuring the delivery of tangible results in support of the national development agenda of the Government and in line with internationally agreed principles and standards. This is done through the Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework (ZUNDAF). In order to have a positive impact on the lives of Zimbabweans, the UNCT relies on its comparative advantages. The UNCT brings its unique, neutral and impartial role across the development and humanitarian spheres; its normative legitimacy and permanent presence in Zimbabwe; and the breadth of its engagement, including its capacity to leverage resources. The UNCT values its engagement with all stakeholders, including Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations and the private sector. As such, the UNCT seeks to consistently build upon its position as a key partner, most notably by creating and reinforcing partnerships for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

15/09/2026

Bulawayo’s Call to Scale Urban Resilience

By Mantate Mlotshwa and Sirak Gebrehiwot

In a modest Bulawayo backyard, grey oyster mushrooms grow in bags of recycled agricultural waste. What began as a small livelihood idea for Ms. Thandazile Magunje has become a family enterprise and training hub — she now supplies restaurants, sells dried mushroom products, and has trained about 200 others.

"I chose mushrooms because I saw that people doing it were clean, smart and making money," she said, speaking during UN Resident Coordinator Dr. Rosemary Kalapurakal's first visit to the city, from 9-10 September 2026.

Her story captures what Dr. Kalapurakal found across Bulawayo: a city of ingenuity and potential, still facing ageing infrastructure, challenges of waste management and unemployment — and a pressing question of what it takes to scale such successes. "Small projects do not transform a city or its surrounding suburbs," she told provincial and city leaders. "Scale will come with government leadership, national budgets, and bringing in the private sector and other investors."

The ideas and the people are already there; what's missing is the investment, policy support and partnerships to turn them into citywide change.

Ms. Magunje's enterprise is one example of a WFP supported urban-resilience programme, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, which has helped vulnerable households turn practical skills into small businesses. Her mushrooms grow in maize stalks and other farm waste — material that would otherwise be discarded — and she has since added solar drying, mushroom powder, and a training service for others. Her trainees are now organizing into cooperatives, so they can buy inputs together and bring down the cost of importing mushroom spawn.

Other households in the programme have built businesses in poultry, food processing, detergent-making and small-scale manufacturing — proof that the right support (training, starter inputs, mentoring, market connections) can help families move from vulnerability to enterprise.

"If one person can make a good living, support her family and gain dignity as an entrepreneur and trainer, why not others?" Dr. Kalapurakal asked.

Scaling that kind of success, she said, will take more than encouragement. It requires revolving funds for small enterprises, accessible microfinance, shared transport and processing facilities, simpler certification, and local policies that allow safe, regulated small-scale production.

Where Culture Meets Enterprise

The visit also took Dr. Kalapurakal into Bulawayo's creative spaces — the Mzilikazi Arts and Crafts Centre, one of the city’s oldest high-density suburbs, and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. At both, she saw what's on display, but also spent time with the people who run them - the administrators, the working artists, the creators with studios and workshops on site. At the Gallery, this all meant a look inside spaces where artists work on creations.

Much of what she saw was rooted in culture and identity. But as Bulawayo's creators expressed, it goes beyond storytelling, into how the city and nation’s economy. Crafts and community-based creative work support thousands of women and young people across the province, and the creators she met are entrepreneurs and innovators in their own right. With stronger market links, tourism connections, access to materials and business support, that sector could create livelihoods again - much like Ms. Magunje's mushrooms or the waste pickers at Richmond Landfill - value that could be unlocked.

Turning Waste into Opportunity

Waste was the thread running through nearly every conversation of the visit. Meeting the city's political, civic and community leaders — Minister of State Hon. Judith Ncube, Mayor Advocate David Coltart, Town Clerk Mr. Christopher Dube, waste-management officials, and households supported by FAO and WFP programmes — Dr. Kalapurakal heard how landfill fires, water and sewer failures, informal trade and public health all trace back to the same root problem.

At Richmond Landfill, which receives waste from across the city, an informal economy of waste pickers recovers cardboard, plastic and metal — substantial volumes each month, by city officials' estimates, pointing to real value in what the city throws away. But the work is dangerous, as pickers often sort through refuse without protection, and fires are sometimes set to expose metals, releasing toxic smoke. With the landfill sitting close to homes and schools, the case for a safer, modern waste-management system is urgent. To help address these concerns, the Honourable Minister of Local Government and Public Works, together with Dr Dilesh Nguwaya—Executive Chairperson and CEO of Geo Pomona Waste Management and Special Advisor to the President on Waste Management and Environmental Sustainability—engaged local authorities to identify solutions.

Through its Green Cities initiative, FAO has helped build the evidence for change, supporting assessments and an investment plan that map out practical ways to improve waste collection and recycling, protect public health, and unlock green jobs. Discussions during the visit pointed to Harare's landfill transformation as a model of modern technology, recycling and waste-to-energy approaches that could work in Bulawayo too.

"The solutions are there," Dr. Kalapurakal said. "Other cities and countries have tackled these challenges. We need to learn from them and see what partnerships can bring the transformation."

The Basics People Are Waiting For

Ageing water and sewer systems are another strain on the city. Even when water is treated and supplied, much of it is lost through damaged pipes before it reaches homes. Sewer blockages and overflows create health hazards and daily indignities for residents.

City and provincial leaders share the perspective that new investment in water supply won't fix this on its own. Instead, it has to be matched by repairs to the pipes and sanitation systems that carry water the "last mile," into people's homes. This is exactly what residents are asking for: clean water, working sanitation, reliable refuse collection, and safe neighborhoods.

Beyond pipes and landfills, leaders pointed to public space and culture as another underused asset. During the visit, Dr. Kalapurakal saw a park rehabilitation project supported by the city and partners including the Mayor’s wife, Mrs. Coltart. The project seeks to restore green space and revive a site many residents remember as an important communal gathering place. It's a small effort next to the city's bigger infrastructure needs, but a meaningful one because safe public spaces support community wellbeing.

Dr. Kalapurakal was clear about where the UN's role begins and ends. The UN brings technical expertise, global standards, research, convening power, and proof-of-concept projects. "Our role is increasingly to bring evidence, standards, scientific knowledge, catalytic funding and examples of what has worked elsewhere, while helping broker partnerships with those who can invest," she said. Large-scale transformation, she added, has to be led by government and backed by financing that works.

That puts real weight on provincial and city government — aligning priorities, mobilizing national support, and making sure no community is left behind — while Bulawayo City Council handles the planning, regulation and service delivery that make investment possible in the first place. The goal shouldn’t be to simply attract investment, but to attract the right kind, which is inclusive, sustainable and accountable, creating jobs, protecting public health, and strengthening the services residents depend on.

The visit cements the reality that sustainability for Bulawayo won't come from infrastructure or financing alone, but will depend on whether these programmes build real local ownership.

Ms. Magunje's success is rooted in her willingness to learn, experiment, and organize with others. The creators at Mzilikazi and the National Gallery show that culture and identity are economic assets too, not just stories to tell. The waste pickers at Richmond Landfill show both the risk they face and the economic potential still untapped in recycling including converting waste to energy. And residents calling for clean water, working sanitation and restored parks aren't asking for temporary relief, but a city that works.

Dr. Kalapurakal's visit reaffirmed the UN's commitment to work with the Government of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Bulawayo City Council, development partners, communities and the private sector to help turn that potential into progress.

The challenge now is to make sure the next chapter is bigger than a pilot — one where green livelihoods, modern services and inclusive growth reach not just a few households, but the whole city.

• Mantate Mlotshwa is a graduate student in Diplomacy and International Relations, currently on a Digital Communications and Partnerships learning placement with WFP and he UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Zimbabwe.
• Sirak Gebrehiwot is UN Partnerships and Development Finance Advisor at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Zimbabwe

15/09/2026

Zimbabwe Launches National Drive to End Menstrual Poverty through Education and Partnerships

By Sirak Gebrehiwot

Zimbabwe launched on Monday 14 September a National Menstrual Health Educational Package aimed at tackling menstrual poverty, breaking harmful taboos and ensuring that menstruation does not prevent girls from attending school, participating in community life or reaching their full potential.

Led by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, the initiative is supported by the Millennium Challenges Global Accelerator (M-GA) Trust Fund that includes the Joint SDG Fund, and the World Bank’s Social Protection Response Fund. It forms part of a joint programme that brings together the Government of Zimbabwe, the World Bank, UNFPA, UNICEF, and other partners under, Building Resilient Futures: Strengthening Zimbabwe’s Social Protection Systems for Girls’ Empowerment.

At the launch, government officials and development partners underscored that menstrual poverty extends beyond limited access to sanitary products. It also encompasses gaps in information, stigma, cultural misconceptions, inadequate sanitation facilities, and the exclusion many girls face during menstruation. They emphasized that menstrual health is an education, gender equality, and economic issue requiring the involvement of boys, men, families, and communities. Consistent and inclusive support can help girls remain in school, participate fully in society, and achieve their potential.

Speaking at the launch, the Chief Director in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and SME Development, Ms. Lillian Matsika, said menstrual poverty continued to undermine the wellbeing, education and opportunities of women and girls.
“Menstrual poverty continues to affect millions of women and girls, limiting their access to safe menstrual products, disrupting their education, dignity and health,” Ms. Matsika said.

She said the initiative was particularly important because the ministry’s mandate included supporting girls from an early age to ensure they could realize their potential.

Ms. Matsika commended the World Bank, UNFPA and other partners for their contribution, while recognizing the technical taskforce that adapted the package to Zimbabwe’s social and cultural context.

The package will initially be piloted in Binga and Bulilima districts, creating an opportunity to test the materials, gather lessons from communities and inform a broader national rollout.
Beyond products, defining menstrual poverty

Deputy Director in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and SME Development, Ms. Deborah Wazamazama Chinyanga, said the educational package had been developed because menstrual health was often shrouded in secrecy, misinformation and discrimination.

“The issues of menstrual health are shrouded in mystery and secrecy, which then leads to stigma and a lot of discrimination,” Ms. Chinyanga said.
She emphasized that the definition of menstrual poverty must go beyond the inability to afford or access menstrual products.

The new package seeks to harmonize menstrual-health messaging across government institutions, schools, communities, civil society and development programmes. It includes an illustrated guide for facilitators and a participatory “Zero Taboos” game designed to address common myths and misconceptions.

“It will provide practical guidance on menstrual products and their proper use, while strengthening community dialogue and promoting supportive, inclusive menstrual-health programming,” Ms. Chinyanga said.

She noted that consultations with communities and traditional leaders had reinforced the need for menstrual health to be treated as a shared concern.

Building knowledge and challenging stigma

Ms. Hortencia Franco, Partnerships Manager for Be Girl Inc, said the organization was honoured to have supported the co-development of Zimbabwe’s national package.

“We work specifically in the field of menstrual health because a girl’s body and menstruation should not represent a barrier for her to access both private and public life,” Ms. Franco said.
Be Girl Inc, which works across the continent, supports menstrual health through reusable menstrual products, education, advocacy and evidence-based programming. The organization has delivered about one million menstrual products and educated approximately half a million adolescents, educators and parents.
Ms. Franco said the package recognized that menstrual health was broader than product access.

“The challenge with menstrual poverty is not only related to access to products, but also access to education,” she said. “We work in developing educational packages, training of trainers, and community and school activities that allow us to break stigma.”

The illustrated guide covers puberty, reproductive health, the menstrual cycle, menstrual products, pain management, disability inclusion and communication with parents, teachers, boys and men. Meanwhile, the “Zero Taboos” game uses more than 120 cards featuring facts, myths, taboos and action-oriented challenges.

“We want boys and men to become agents of change,” Ms. Franco said. “The only way they can be agents of change is when they have access to information.”

Pledges for implementation

UNFPA Representative Ms. Miranda Tabifor described the launch as a significant step in replacing silence and shame with accurate, age-appropriate and inclusive information.
“This educational package is a direct response to break the silence by bringing comprehensive, accurate and age-appropriate information into schools and communities,” Ms. Tabifor said.

“By doing so, we are equipping young people with the knowledge they need to navigate their health with confidence, free from shame.”
Acknowledging the Government of Zimbabwe’s leadership in the coordination on menstrual health management, Ms. Tabifor said UNFPA would support the next stage of implementation in the pilot districts.

Ms. Tabifor said ending menstrual poverty was central to wider development outcomes.
“When our girls stay in school, our communities thrive, our economy grows and our nation grows stronger,” she said. “Let us continue to walk together to end period stigma and ensure menstrual dignity for every woman and girl in Zimbabwe.”

Menstrual health as an education and economic issue

World Bank Group Country Manager for Zimbabwe, Ms. Eneida Fernandes, said menstrual health should be understood not only as a health and gender issue, but also as a human-capital and economic imperative.

“About 90 percent of girls in Zimbabwe complete primary school. That is fantastic and an incredible achievement,” Ms. Fernandes said. “But only a few finish upper secondary school.”
She said menstruation-related absences were among the factors affecting girls’ progression through school.

“Somewhere along the way, these girls drop out for many reasons, and one of them, which we do not really talk about, is menstruation,” she said.

Ms. Fernandes cited evidence that one in 10 girls in Africa misses school during her period, contributing to significant absenteeism over the course of a school year. She also noted estimates that girls in rural Zimbabwe could lose up to 528 school days between primary school and A-Level due to menstruation-related absences. This joint partnership on MHH builds on the experience and lessons learnt developed through the East Africa Girls Empowerment and Resilience (EAGER) WB regional initiative.

“The silence around menstruation comes at a cost,” she said. “It keeps girls at home, prevents families from providing support, and allows stigma to determine girls’ futures instead of their ambition and ability.”

The World Bank has supported the Government, UNFPA and Be Girl Inc in developing a unified and nationally harmonized menstrual health curriculum to replace fragmented messaging and isolated interventions.

Ms. Fernandes also highlighted the potential for local production of affordable menstrual products to create jobs and strengthen women-led enterprises.

“Menstrual health can create economic opportunity,” she said. “Supporting and scaling businesses that produce affordable menstrual products locally turns a health issue into a jobs opportunity.”

No girl should be left behind

In her keynote address, the Minister of Women Affairs, Community and SME Development, Honourable Monica Mutsvangwa, declared menstrual health a national development priority.
“Menstrual health is not a private or isolated matter,” Minister Mutsvangwa said. “It is a critical component of national development, gender equality and human-capital growth.”

She said the Government’s commitment to leaving no one and no place behind required deliberate action to ensure that menstruation never becomes an obstacle to education.
“Every girl deserves the opportunity to attend school regularly, not to miss five days in a month,” she said. “Every girl must be given an opportunity to participate fully and realize her potential.”
The Minister stressed that menstrual health was not solely a women’s issue.

“No man out there should think this is a women’s issue. This is an economic issue,” she said. “Any country which needs to grow its economy has to look at issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment as a decisive strategic step.”

Honourable Minister Mutsvangwa said girls could not compete fairly in education if they missed lessons because they lacked products, information, supportive environments or adequate water and sanitation facilities.
“If we are not going to deal with issues of menstrual health and education, what that means is that the girl child cannot compete adequately with the boy child,” she said.

She called on parents, traditional leaders, teachers, health workers, civil society, development partners and the private sector to take collective responsibility.

“No child should suffer alone. No girl should be abused in silence,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
While welcoming international support, she urged the private sector to help make menstrual products accessible and affordable.

“We cannot continue to wait for sponsors from outside,” she said. “If every company in this country can do something to make sure that there is no period poverty, the success of this country will be faster than before.”

Minister Mutsvangwa officially launched the National Menstrual Health Educational Package and the Zero Taboos Game, describing them as practical tools for creating safe spaces for discussion, improving knowledge and challenging harmful beliefs.

Closing the colorful launch, Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Community and SME Development, Honourable K Mutimbanyoka, said the true value of the launch would lie in implementation and access.

“Perhaps the greatest achievement of today is not simply what we launch, but what will be done,” Mr. Mutimbanyoka said.

The Deputy Minister called for the package to reach communities across the country, including the most remote areas. “If this package is to change lives, it must not remain in our hands. It must find its way into every hand that needs it,” he said.

With the Government providing leadership and coordination, and the World Bank, UNFPA, Be Girl Inc, civil society and communities contributing technical, financial and implementation support, the new package represents a collective national effort to ensure that no girl in Zimbabwe is disadvantaged simply because she menstruates.

Sirak Gebrehiwot is UN Partnerships and Development Finance Advisor at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Zimbabwe

04/09/2026

Geo Pomona Waste Management and Zhejiang Weiming Environment Group have officially signed the EPC contract for Zimbabwe's flagship Waste-to-Energy project, a major step toward turning waste into clean, reliable power for the nation.

The contract was signed by Dr. Dilesh Nguwaya (CEO & Executive Chairman of Geo Pomona, and Special Advisor to the President on Waste Management and Environmental Sustainability) alongside Mr. Chen Ge (Chairman, Zhejiang Weiming Environment Group). The ceremony was witnessed by His Excellency President Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa.

Waste to Energy initiative aligns with health and welbeing, sustainable cities, responsible consumption and production, climate action targets of the SDGs

04/09/2026

UN Zimbabwe Message of Condolence

The United Nations Country Team in Zimbabwe have learnt with deep shock and profound sorrow of the sudden and untimely passing of Her Excellency Ms. Katerin Hagemann, Head of Delegation of the European Union and Ambassador to Zimbabwe.

On behalf of the United Nations family in Zimbabwe, we convey our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the European Union Delegation in Zimbabwe, the family and loved ones of Her Excellency Ms. Hagemann, the Ambassadors of the European Union Member States, and the wider diplomatic community.

At this difficult time, we stand in solidarity with all those mourning this significant loss and extend our deepest sympathy and respect. May the soul of Her Excellency Ms. Hagemann rest in eternal peace. EU Delegation to Zimbabwe

02/09/2026

MEL Week to Catalyze Transformation Through Better Monitoring and Evaluation

UN Zimbabwe team is participating at the ongoing national Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning week in Masvingo. The training sessions’ main focus has been on transforming how development programmes are evaluated in Zimbabwe.

Today, Dr. Takunda Chirao from CLEAR Anglophone Africa is leading the equitable evaluation training, highlighting why traditional evaluations often miss the mark by overlooking context, culture, and inequality.

A vision without proper monitoring and evaluation is merely a wish. As Zimbabwe works toward Vision 2030, we are ensuring equity and social justice are at the heart of every evaluation - from design to data analysis to recommendations.

Our teams are also conducting parallel sessions on:
-Data visualization and AI digitalization
-Foresight and futures analysis for adaptive M&E

Together, we're building capacity for more inclusive, context-specific evaluation that drives transformation.

01/09/2026

Victoria Falls' WASH Transformation Points to a Sustainable Urban Future

By Sirak Gebrehiwot

Victoria Falls is world-renowned for its thunderous waterfall, sweeping Zambezi landscape, and status as one of Africa's most iconic tourism destinations. Yet behind the resort city's beauty lies a quieter but equally significant story - the modernization of water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH) infrastructure for residents, businesses, visitors, and future generations.

That story came into focus on 27 August, when UN Resident Coordinator Dr. Rosemary Kalapurakal visited Victoria Falls Municipality to engage with council officials, engineers, and councilors on work being undertaken through Zimbabwe's devolution development fund, council internal resources, private sector support, and broader local authority planning. Her visit underscored how devolution is enabling local authorities to respond to their own development priorities in water supply, sanitation, hygiene, public health, and urban resilience.

Victoria Falls has a permanent population of approximately 36,000 people, based on the 2022 census. However, its infrastructure carries a burden far heavier than that figure suggests. As a tourism hub, the city serves a large transient population — hundreds of thousands of annual visitors — alongside hotels, lodges, restaurants, conference facilities, tour operators, informal traders, and surrounding communities, all dependent on reliable water and sanitation services.

City officials stressed that planning cannot rest solely on permanent residents. Daily visitors, seasonal tourism peaks, new housing developments, business expansion, and the city's growing profile as a regional conference and investment destination must all be factored in. This has mounting pressure on ageing water and sewer systems originally designed for a much smaller settlement.

Devolution as a Practical Tool

Zimbabwe's devolution agenda has become a key instrument for addressing service delivery gaps. Through devolution funds, councils invest in priority infrastructure that responds directly to local needs. In Victoria Falls, this has complemented council resources and long-term municipal planning, yielding investment in water storage, reticulation, pumping systems, sewer infrastructure, and broader sanitation planning.
City officials emphasized that the work follows a phased approach. Given the scale and financial demands of total infrastructure requirements, the city has prioritized the most urgent interventions — particularly water storage and distribution in high-demand residential areas.

During the visit, Chief Engineer Shadreck Dube, alongside councilors and officials, took Dr. Kalapurakal on a tour of existing and new water reticulation infrastructure. Victoria Falls abstracts raw water primarily from the Zambezi River, which is then treated and distributed through the city's reservoir and pipeline network. While the natural water source is reliable, the main challenge lies in the condition, capacity, and age of treatment, storage, and distribution infrastructure.

"The major challenge is that we are relying on ageing infrastructure," Engineer Dube explained. "That is the biggest challenge we are having."
The current treatment plant has a capacity of approximately 14 megalitres per day, while daily demand is estimated at 16 to 18 megalitres. With tourism and urban growth projected to rise, the gap between demand and capacity will widen unless upgrades accelerate. The municipality has therefore prioritized expanding water storage, improving pressure, upgrading pipelines, and strengthening supply reliability.

The Mkhosana Reservoir, A Flagship Intervention

A cornerstone of the WASH programme is the Mkhosana Reservoir Project, designed to improve water reliability in one of the city's major residential areas. The project includes a 5-megalitre ground reservoir, a 0.75-megalitre elevated reservoir, approximately 12 kilometres of associated pipelines, upgraded pumping systems, new fire hydrants, and improved reticulation for stronger pressure and distribution.

Construction began in June 2023, and the project was commissioned in May 2026 by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Hon. Daniel Garwe. The completed phase cost approximately US$5 million, financed through council internal resources, while the broader WASH programme is valued at around US$18 million.

For Mkhosana residents, the reservoir has delivered practical improvements: increased storage capacity, better water pressure, and reduced vulnerability to interruptions from power cuts or peak demand. Approximately 25,000 residents are direct beneficiaries, with wider benefits extending to businesses, tourism facilities, schools, clinics, and the transient population.

A key message from the technical team was that Victoria Falls' water challenge is not the absence of water — the Zambezi remains the main source — but the ability to treat, store, and distribute enough water efficiently and reliably. The elevated tank is especially important because it enables improved gravity-fed distribution and pressure stabilization, which also strengthens firefighting capacity — a major public safety concern in a tourism city with hotels, conference venues, and dense residential suburbs.

Engineer Dube noted that further investment is still needed to replace and rehabilitate infrastructure that has reached or exceeded its design life, as some ageing pipelines are prone to failure, creating risks of water losses, service disruption, and contamination.

While the new water storage infrastructure marks significant progress, officials were clear that sanitation remains an urgent area requiring further investment. Victoria Falls has several sewer pump stations conveying wastewater to treatment points, but parts of the system are ageing and increasingly inefficient. Some sewer pipes are old asbestos-cement lines vulnerable to cracking and collapse, raising the risk of sewage leaks, environmental contamination, and waterborne disease.

Officials also highlighted challenges with existing sewer treatment systems, including high operating costs, energy demands, and the difficulty of consistently meeting environmental discharge standards. As the city grows, sanitation infrastructure must keep pace with water supply expansion — more water in the system means more wastewater requiring safe collection, conveyance, and treatment.

For a city adjacent to the Zambezi River and the Victoria Falls World Heritage landscape, proper wastewater management is not merely a municipal obligation but an environmental and international heritage responsibility.

Protecting a World Heritage City

Victoria Falls is home to Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared with Zambia. The city's environmental management therefore carries significance beyond local boundaries. Improved WASH infrastructure helps protect the ecological integrity of the Zambezi River system.

Poor sanitation or inadequate wastewater treatment could threaten public health, biodiversity, tourism, and the destination's reputation. The WASH programme is thus closely linked to sustainable tourism — the city must grow in a way that protects the very natural asset attracting visitors.

Dr. Kalapurakal welcomed the city's planning-based, data-informed approach. Drawing from experiences in other countries, including her own background in India, she warned that unsustainable tourism can damage natural assets, exclude communities from benefits, and overstretch health and sanitation systems.

She noted that Zimbabwe's "open for business" message must be matched by investments in basic services such as water, sanitation, and urban resilience. The United Nations, she said, could support the development case for sustainable, inclusive economic growth by bringing international experiences, standards, scientific research, and knowledge from other tourism destinations balancing growth with environmental protection and community welfare.

Linking to the Sustainable Development Goals

The WASH programme advances several SDGs: SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). These goals are visible in reservoirs, pipelines, pump stations, fire hydrants, and the daily lives of residents.

For households, particularly in high-density suburbs, improved water supply is about dignity — reducing time spent seeking water, improving hygiene, supporting school attendance, and helping clinics function. Reliable water also supports women, children, and vulnerable groups who bear the greatest burden when systems fail. Sanitation improvements are equally critical, as sewer failures can quickly become public health threats, protecting communities from diarrhoeal diseases, cholera, and typhoid. The programme therefore represents a preventive public health investment: it is cheaper and safer to invest in infrastructure than to respond to disease outbreaks after systems fail.

A Model for Localized Development

The Victoria Falls WASH programme demonstrates the practical value of devolution when local authorities are empowered to identify and address their own infrastructure priorities.

Through devolution funds and council investment, the city has taken visible steps toward modernizing essential services. The Mkhosana reservoir is a concrete example of how local development financing can improve lives and strengthen urban resilience.

The programme also shows that devolution is most effective when combined with good planning, technical expertise, transparency, community benefit, and long-term sustainability. Victoria Falls is planning not only for today's residents, but for future households, visitors, and economic opportunities.

Dr. Kalapurakal's visit underscored the growing importance of WASH in Zimbabwe's local development agenda. In a city whose global identity is built around water, modernizing water and sanitation services carries deep symbolic and practical meaning — ensuring that the beauty of Victoria Falls is matched by the quality of life of its people, the resilience of its infrastructure, and the sustainability of its future.

Sirak Gebrehiwot is UN Partnerships and Development Finance Advisor at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Zimbabwe.

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